Brett Tanner
Regional Marketing Director, Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan
The Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance plan helps SMEs thrive with competitive rates, predictable renewals, and value-added services.
You or someone you know undoubtedly works for — or runs — a small- or medium-sized enterprise (SME). Over 98% of Canadian companies have fewer than 100 employees, and they’re the engines of our economy.
It’s not easy being an SME, though. Historically, insurers have refused to provide benefits for companies with fewer than 10 employees. In the 1970s, the national Chambers of Commerce network recognized this problem and pledged to solve it. Through their leadership and initiative, the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan is now Canada’s leading employee benefits plan for SMEs.
[the_ad id="10332"]Providing peace of mind
The insurance plans available to SMEs often come with high rates and unpredictable increases upon renewal. “If you followed a company with 10 to 90 employees through four or five years of renewals, the renewals for at least two of those years would be up or down in the tens of thousands,” says Brett Tanner, Regional Marketing Director at the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan. “There’s just too much volatility in renewals based on your claims.”
The Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan offers a refreshing alternative. It uses a pooling system, so a pool of SMEs can share equally in the costs of their claims and renewals. This prevents individual companies from shouldering the burden of unexpected renewal increases. SMEs get stable, predictable plans they can budget for with confidence.
The plan also offers competitive, affordable rates. “It was built on a not-for-profit basis, so we don’t have shareholders and we have less overhead,” says Tanner. It doesn’t collect reserves, either — a common profit centre for insurance carriers.
Best of all, the plan puts its clients first. It offers exceptional service and an array of add-ons at no extra cost, including health services, HR products, business support, and more.
Optimizing engagement and productivity
Employee benefits are a key way that SMEs attract employees in a competitive marketplace. Benefits also help keep employees healthy and happy, which in turn increases an organization’s overall performance.
“It’s the smart thing to do for your employees and company,” say Humble & Fred radio hosts “Humble” Howard Glassman and Fred Patterson, who use the plan for their own SME. “It’s simple, stable, smart, and easily accessed.”
Businesses across the country agree. The Chambers of Commerce insures over 30,000 Canadian SMEs.
The Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance plan offers an array of advantages that service employers and employees alike. Here are its key benefits:
1. Budget predictability
As a not-for-profit that uses a fair pooling system, the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan offers the best possible rates with predictable renewals. “If you have a good year, we’ll automatically lower your rates because we can’t hold a surplus, and if you have a bad year, the pool absorbs part of your negative claims,” says Tanner. “It’s the best of both worlds. It’s competitively priced and gives you security on your budget.”
2. Value-added services
A variety of helpful add-ons are included in the plan at no extra cost, including:
- Teladoc Health: A virtual health care service that connects patients with a licensed doctor to provide immediate resolution for an array of conditions
- Best Doctors: A service that connects patients with world-renowned medical specialists to resolve questions about complex conditions
- Healthy Business Bookmark: A suite of HR-supporting products, including a self-diagnostic tool for SMEs as well as handy documents (like employment offer letters and employee handbooks) and easy access to the rules and regulations that affect SMEs
- Business Assistance Service: Nine hours of free phone support on accounting, legal, and HR issues that affect SMEs on a day-to-day basis
- Tandem: An integrated payroll system that saves time for firms that use Payworks as their payroll provider
3. Unique customer experience
The user-friendly my-benefits app allows users to check their limits, access the value-added services, and file claims on the go.
